Sustainability is a hot word lately. We hear it in many industries. We see it often as consumers. It is labeled on the products and clothing we buy. Regardless of the circumstance, there is a lot of buzz swarming around sustainability. It seems most of us associate sustainability with environmental impact. What does sustainability mean in the beef industry? How does it affect the way we manage our herds, our lands, and our business?

To answer the above questions, let us first try to define the word sustainability. In most aspects sustainability refers to three different attributes: economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. When this is applied to the beef industry the water becomes merky. The beef value chain encompasses a broad range of specialties, including cow/calf producers, stocker operators, feedlots, packers, retailers, foodservice operators, consumers, landowners, and non- governmental organizations. Each member of the value chain will most likely have a different perception of what a sustainable beef industry looks like. This makes it difficult to align the entire industry to pursue a singular goal of “sustainability.” In addition, what is sustainable for one sector may not be sustainable to another sector. Let’s explore this a little more.

Beef is produced in nearly every geographical location of the United States. Every location’s ecosystem varies. The overall environmental conditions, the ability to transport, consumer awareness and cost of operation will have stark contrast throughout the country and through the beef value chain. The three pillars of sustainability: environment, social and economic, are like a moving target. It will be nearly impossible to achieve goals in all of these areas. One style of management is not always better than the other. Industries in the beef value chain can strive to constantly improve their practice and use the pillars as a target.

According to Beef Research, here are some examples of issues that fall under the environmental, economic, and social aspects of beef sustainability:

Environmental:

• Carbon footprint

• Water footprint

• Provisioning of wildlife habitats on grazing lands

• Ability of cattle to utilize human inedible feeds

Economic:

• Profitability of beef producers

• Rural economies and livelihoods

• Affordability of beef to consumers

Social:

• Nutritional quality

• Animal welfare

• Antibiotic and technology use

• Culture/traditions of beef producers and eaters

As you can see from the list, there will be variability in all sectors of the beef chain as well as multifaceted factors depending on geographical location. In order to achieve sustainability, each sector will need to strive to balance the above aspects.

Beef Research provides a great example of grass-finished beef and grain-finished beef in concerns about the complexity of sustainability and the difficulties of defining what is better and worse.

“Cattle finished in either system will spend the first part of their lives (the first 8-16 months) consuming primarily forage, or whole plants such as grass and hay; however, the finishing or last part of their lives will vary in the following ways:

1. In a grain-finished beef system, cattle are finished in a feedlot for 4 to 6 months eating a diet that is typically 70% or greater grain-based.

2. In a grass-finished beef system, cattle are finished on grass for a period of 6 to 10 months, with little to no grain supplementation to their diets.

Which is more sustainable? Suppose that the grass-finished system above encompassed two different systems: a system comprised of planted bermudagrass forage only, or a system comprised of native rangeland only. Each of these forage types will likely have differences in stocking density, diversity of grasses and forbs, and fertilizer use. Keeping in mind the fact that these metrics may be different for different forages or in different parts of the country, which is more sustainable? If the grazing is incorporated in a rotational cropping system to take advantage of crop residue or to graze cover crops, would that be more sustainable? What if any of these producers were forced to sell their cattle due to lack of profit or reduction of necessary natural resources — was it sustainable? If consumers were opposed to one of these production systems due to their perception of animal welfare, would that system still be sustainable?”

The beef industry encompasses a vast variety of management systems and varying environments. It is important to remember while one method may be successful in one system, it may be very different in another. Each segment and each operation can strive for sustainability knowing there will be variabilities in management and environmental aspects.